Course Description:

What is trauma and what defines trauma healing? Historically, trauma was defined as an event or series of events that happened in the past and trauma healing was defined as the understanding of that event. 

What is now known: trauma, while often perceived as an event or series of events, is more the residue of those events remaining in the body, mind, and spirit. Symptoms of traumatic stress arise from incomplete or thwarted attempts at self-protection remaining in our tissues long after the event or series of events is over. These experiences often occur before we are physiologically developed to successfully navigate them — sometimes prior to birth and often prior to our capacity for cognitive awareness. They are what happens within, as the body tries, but is unsuccessful, at navigating real or perceived harm.

So, how can cognitive treatment resolve trauma? Short answer: it can’t. Thankfully our bodies are designed to go into both hyper-arousal and collapse to help us get through danger and life threat — and are also hard-wired to recover from these experiences — even the ones that occur before we have language or cognitive awareness. Clinicians can help bring regulation and balance to trauma survivors by engaging the body’s essential wisdom.

Here lies the power of bottom-up therapies. Healing that begins with the body. Body based healing invites the integration of new healthy coping skills to replace habituated responses of either or both hyper-arousal and collapse.

Objectives

1. Define trauma and identify the 5 stages of the self-protective response.

2. List 8 of the 10 the Adverse Childhood Experiences and identify 2-3  impacts of ACES  on the development of complex trauma and adult morbidity and mortality.

3. List the 3 hierarchical states of the autonomic nervous system and define neuroception as outlined in Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory.

4. Define and describe 3 somatic therapy interventions  that address dysregulation in a client’s autonomic nervous system and promote trauma recovery.

5. Analyze the cultural foundation of bottom up therapeutic techniques and their implications for healing in community.

About Tracey & Alaine

Tracey Post, LCSW, SEP

Over 20 years of experience in trauma, post-traumatic growth, sexual health, and sexual identity. Expertise in Somatic Experiencing, multi-sensory trauma treatment, EMDR, women's sexuality, gender identity, diverse sexual expression, and sexual orientation. Tracey is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant on topics including trauma, multi-sensory mindfulness and post-traumatic growth.

Alaine Duncan, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac, SEP 

Alaine Duncan is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and an acupuncturist who integrates the neurobiology of traumatic stress with the wisdom of Chinese medicine. She holds a particular fascination for how restoring balance and regulation in trauma survivors serves both individual healing and social transformation. Her book, The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner’s Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment, is the foundation of East-meets-West workshops she offers for acupuncturists, mental health and medical providers. More: https://integrativehealingworks.net/

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Holistic Nurses, Physical Therapists, Massage Therapists and BodyWorkers, Physicians, Psychologists, Naturopathic Physicians, Licensed Acupuncturists.

Continuing Education Credit

Social Work:

Foundations of Trauma Healing - Cultivating Healing Through The Body’s Wisdom, 6120, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by The Princeton Center for MindBody Healing as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 2/14/25 - 2/14/27. Social workers completing this course receive 4 clinical and 1 social and cultural competence continuing education credits.

NCCAOM:

5 PDA's for Licensed Acupuncturists from NCCAOM

Additional Information

Certificates are issued by email within 7 days after full course completion.

Content Level / Participation:

• Beginner

• Interactive

Cancellations / Refunds:

• 100% refund 30 days prior (less than 30 days a $50 admin. fee is applicable)

Course completion requirements:

• Live attendance of entire course.

• No posttest

• Course evaluation required for credit.

Questions ? / Submitting an Accommodations Request:

• Please contact course directors at https://integrativehealingworks.net/contact or tracey@princetonmindbody.com

• ASL interpreters available upon request

• Accessibility requests available no later than 4/15/2025

Course Schedule

10:30 AM -12:30 PM Introductions, Overview, Review  of Trauma and 5 steps of the Self Protective Response

12:30-12:45 PM Break

12:45- 1:30 PM Review of the ACES and impact of ACES  on the development of complex trauma as well as the potential impact on adult morbidity and mortality

1:30-2:30 PM Lunch

2:30 - 3:45  PM Review of Polyvagal Theory and bottom up processing 

3:45-4:00 PM Break

4:00-4:45 PM Review Principles of Tao of Trauma

4:45- 5:15  PM Exploration and integration of the  role of bottom up therapies in cultural transformations

5:15-5:30 PM Debrief and evaluations

Sponsored by Integrative Healing & The Princeton Center for MindBody Healing

Cosponsored by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton